Shun Hing Group data breach impacts over 920,000 customers

A major data breach at Hong Kong appliance giant Shun Hing Group has exposed the personal information of 920,000 consumers and staff members, according to the city's privacy watchdog.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) said in a statement to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that received a data breach report from Shun Hing Group on 23 March and initiated an investigation in accordance with standard procedures. The probe is still underway.

The breach may have exposed the personal data of over 921,000 individuals. Among them, about 920,000 customers had their names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses compromised. Roughly 1,000 employees and supplier staff faced a more serious leak, with their ID numbers, bank account details, and salary information also exposed.

The incident has also seen the personal data of about 1,050,000 individuals maliciously encrypted, with most of them, roughly 1,045,000, being customers.

On the other hand, Shun Hing Group told HK01 that it detected unauthorised access and damage to its computer systems on 20 March. The company filed an official police report, notified the PCPD, and engaged an independent team of cybersecurity experts to thoroughly investigate the incident. Efforts are underway to determine the scope of potentially affected data, which may include details such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses.

Shun Hing Group said in a statement to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it has taken steps to protect customer data and keep services running, including strengthening its network defenses to prevent similar attacks in the future.

"Shun Hing Group strongly condemns all forms of cybercrime and remains committed to collaborating fully with law enforcement agencies. To ensure the safety of customer information and maintain service reliability, the group has already implemented robust countermeasures and upgrades to its cybersecurity defenses to prevent similar incidents in the future," the statement reads.

The PCPD has urged potentially affected individuals to stay alert. To protect against identity theft, they recommend changing passwords, turning on two-factor authentication, checking for suspicious logins, and reviewing bank statements for unknown transactions.

Shun Hing Group is a Hong Kong-based conglomerate known as the exclusive agent and sole distributor for Panasonic products in Hong Kong and Macau. The company operates across diverse sectors, including home appliances, audio-visual equipment, office automation, logistics, advertising, engineering, and property investment in mainland China.  Apart from Panasonic, Shun Hing Group also distributes household brands including Rasonic, JVC, TEKA and KDK. 

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